Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Major General Mykhailo Drapati, who last year headed the army's joint forces. "We all have one desire - to defeat the enemy and create such conditions on the front and pressure on Russia that we will force it to make peace," the president said in his evening video address.
According to the head of state, the decision was made after discussing the future configuration of the General Staff and the further development of the army. The previous commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, was thanked for his work. "The fact is that Oleksandr Syrsky ensured results in the defense of Kiev, in the Kharkov offensive operation, in the Kursk operation. A significant path has been covered, the defense of Ukraine continues", the president emphasized.
Drapati is 43 years old, in 2016 he was awarded the Order of "People's Hero of Ukraine". He began his military service as a platoon commander in the 72nd Mechanized Brigade.
The castling followed the protests against the release of Fedorov
The appointment of Mykhailo Drapati to this post was requested by some participants in the mass protests that began in Ukraine after the release of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
As noted by ARD, Fedorov was considered a modern reformer - he introduced significant modernization in drone warfare and established transparency in supplies to the army. At the same time, Syrsky was accused of hindering these reforms. He himself denied it.
Before announcing the appointment, Zelensky held meetings with high-ranking military officials to discuss Syrsky's potential successor. He has been Commander-in-Chief since February 8, 2024.
Syrsky: "I had no conflict with Fedorov"
Syrsky himself stated that it was "unexpected" for him to learn from the media about an existing conflict between him and the dismissed Minister of Defense Mikhail Fedorov. Under the title "My job is war" Syrsky wrote on the Military website that he perceived his relations with the Minister of Defense as working ones - with complex issues, with different positions.
In parallel, Syrsky publicly apologized to Fedorov, saying: "If I offended anyone, forgive me. Sometimes I am tough. But I ask you, and all those who are now closely following this story: let's focus not on the personal, but on the global - on victory".
In the same text, the former commander-in-chief notes that former Minister Fedorov redirected part of the funds intended for military salaries to the purchase of drones. According to Sirsky, it was for this reason that a problem arose with the financing of military salaries and now the authorities were looking for an opportunity to provide them on time and in full.
Author: Roman Sulima